The Red Door
by theVAlife
Summary: Dimitri broke Rose's heart, he reached in her and tore it in two. After those terrible four words, Rose fled from Court and left all her friends. She now works dancing at a club called The Red Door and has a great life. Four years on, the people she's worked hardest to forget turn up at the bar. They want Rose to return, but has Rose changed more than any of them realise?
1. Runaway

**This story was adopted from ****_TheDeadlyEscape. _****Chapters 1, 4, 5 and 6 were mostly written by her, excluding any characters' POV apart from Rose. However, I have edited her pre-written chapters, adding on to them to give more detail, editing any small mistakes and I have also made some minor/semi-major changes to the plot.**

_**Disclaimer- Vampire Academy does not belong to me, it was written and created by the ever-talented Richelle Mead. Unfortunately, that means I don't own sexy Dimitri Belikov either. Seriously, I totally wouldn't mind that. If I could I would.**_

_**Disclaimer- The title of all chapters belong to Linkin Park. I did not create the songs nor did I have any influence over them.**_

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_I backed up, the sting of those words hitting me hard as it he'd slapped me. Something shifted in his features, like maybe he knew how much he'd hurt me. I didn't stick around to see. Instead, I pushed my way out of the aisle and ran out the doors in the back, afraid that if I stayed any longer, everyone in the church would see me cry._

_Richelle Mead, Spirit Bound_

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_"I wanna run away,  
__Never say goodbye._  
_ I wanna know the truth,  
__Instead of wondering why.__"  
__Runaway, Linkin Park._

**RPOV**

I heard the beginning notes of the song Talk Dirty To Me start up as I walked out on the stage. I had memorised all the choreography so I just had to try to clear my mind. It's like when that song that you haven't heard in years comes on the radio, and you know every single word until you actually start thinking about it, then your mind goes completely blank.

That's how I was with dance. I didn't think about the steps, I just went with it. Sure, I thought plenty when I was learning them, but I never forgot them.

I did the first few moves, then my two back-up dancers came on stage. It was brighter up here, so the audience was blurry, which was just the way I liked it. When you start concentrating on the audience rather than the dance, that's when you mess up. Believe me, I learnt it the hard way, back when I was an amateur.

I worked at a club called The Red Door. When you walked in, the bar was farther up on the right side and on the left was an elevated tiled platform, the dance floor. You could take a few steps forward and then take a left to go up stairs where the V.I.P sat. It was more secluded.

On the upper right, way past the bar and even past the restrooms, was a small room where you could go if you wanted to see the strippers. Of course, there were a lot of cameras and security guards back there. The only part of the room you could see from the bar was the door. It was a glass door, but the glare kept you from seeing what was inside.

Farther to the upper left was a glass wall with one glass door. Inside was where I was. This room was where everyone performed. Most people danced hip-hop, although occasionally they would hire a singer. It had a decent sized stage that was elevated about waist-height from the audience. The lighting in here was adjusted differently so you could see the performers better.

After Dimitri had given me the whole 'love fades, mine has' speech four years ago, I couldn't take it. Being near him, even living at Court with the possibility of running into him was him was too much for me. I packed a bag and left. Luckily for me, two of my co-workers here and my new best friends let me share an apartment with them and we split the rent.

I stopped dancing and stood there, not even breathing hard as people cheered. Dancing required the same amount of stamina as being a Guardian did, and while I was away I had improved greatly at both jobs. In fact, I also had a job at this club as the highest Guardian working here. Alex, one of my roommates, did an elaborate bow. My other roommate, Jessie just stood with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. I had warned her the cigarettes would take away her breath. She was a Moroi, therefore not made for exercise like Alex and I, not to mention the impact of cigarettes on her overall health.

"Good night?" Derek asked, walking up to me. I nodded and stripped off my gold crop-top and tight black shorts. It might seem weird, but Derek was cool with me changing in front of him. We had a friends with benefits relationship, so why would it matter? I put on pair of black ¾ leggings and a tight green shirt that went just past my bra but had a high neck, barely showing my collar bones. Glancing in the mirror, I came to my conclusions. _I look sexy as hell. Well, that's not much different from the usual._

"I guess," I muttered, grinning at my own thoughts and running a brush through my hair. I looked over and took in Derek's appearance. Gray sweat pants and a black T-shirt. The sweat pants were a great match to his storm-cloud eyes. Derek's sandy blonde hair was styled to look messy, harshly reminding me of someone I left back at Court. Derek and I always did the dances together that were, well, sexual.

The next song started to play so Derek and I quickly jogged on the stage and started. This one was a little more complicated, but I tried to clear my mind.

This time, Derek had to get close to me and we had to dance, well, together. One moment we would be dancing, the next he would throw me between his legs, and a second later he would throw me on his shoulders. The shoulders part was the best.

He grabbed my arm and I had to use a little momentum to get myself up there on his shoulders. The hard thing was that he didn't hold my legs or anything. I had to latch my feet around his sides. Then he danced. It was kind of techno where he had to do the jerky movements. My arms copied what his did, though I couldn't move my legs. Then I had to do a back-flip off and when I landed, he would swipe me off my feet and on the floor, laying on top of me and moving his hips. Then I playfully push his chest and it would make him go up on his feet. I don't know how he did it without even bending his knees. When the song was over, we were in an compromising position with him standing and holding me. I had my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck and he had his hands on my thighs.

The crowd clapped and he gently dropped me. As always, I heard the few wolf-whistles that would follow. Then I looked around at the ever-increasing crowd and saw something I never wanted to see, let alone thought I would see.

Sitting at a large table and looking at me curiously was none other than Christian Ozera. He shared the table with three others. Adrian to his left, Eddie to his right and a dhampir that I had yet to meet next to Eddie. Adrian's face was a surprise—he looked happy, but something about him seemed . . . Off. Confusion, realisation, surprise, or a mixture of all three. I really wasn't sure. _Fuck._ Of course, he would have noticed something with my aura and me thinking about it would probably make it more obvious. _Shit. I just can't win tonight._ Against my own will, I instinctively glanced around. _Strange, isn't Dimitri supposed to be Sparky's Guardian?_

"Rose," Derek prompted me, motioning back stage. I nodded and quickly walked off the stage to where Alex and Jessie were laughing about something, already dressed in the next outfit.

Alex stopped when she noticed the surprised expression on my face, mixed with a bit of anxiousness. She shot me a look, to which I shook my head. _Not now_, I mouthed, _later._

"Get dressed," Jessie ordered me as soon as she saw me, oblivious to my conversation with Alex.. I stuck my tongue out at her and changed into the outfit that Jessie chucked at me as soon as I was off stage. We were all dressed the same now. Tight black shorts and a loose shirt that once again came just a couple of inches below my bra. It was tight enough to not fly up to flash anyone, but still loose.

"Ready?" I asked, tying on my red Vans to match the shirt. They both smiles and we all walked on stage for the final time tonight. It was a Ne-Yo song; Beautiful Monster. The song was a personal request of mine, I loved him. In fact, I had completely choreographed this dance by myself, with no help from anyone. I was in the centre as usual, with Alex on my right and Jessie on my left. I cleared my face of emotion as I started to move.

This song contained a lot of suggestive moving. At one point all of us had to drop to the ground and roll our hips a few times, grinding the shiny, waxed floor. I barely thought of it anymore, especially today when I had to work to get any thoughts of _them_ out of my head.

_She's a monster  
Beautiful monster  
Beautiful monster  
But I don't mind  
And I need her  
Said I need her  
Beautiful monster  
But I don't mind_

I jumped off the floor and jerked my head to the left. This was a move that was already planned, but today as I whipped my head from the left to the right rapidly, there was more power in my gaze. I think I actually gave a sigh of relief, but that's when I saw him. Over in the corner, next to the door, was a man in a brown leather. From my vantage point on the stage I couldn't make out the face of the man in the dark corner, but it had to be him. No one else in the world would have that long dark haircut, a tall 6"7 frame and could wear a duster and still look hot. _Stop, you can't do this to yourself now. Dance now, think about the Russian God later. And shit, stop calling him a God. _

Even as I spoke to myself, I couldn't pull my gaze away. Squinting, I almost tripped in shock at where that leg-quivering gaze he had was directed- Me. This was one of the few times that I was infinitely glad for those blinding spotlights. There was definitely no way that he—or any of them, thankfully—had recognised me though. As far as they knew, I had absolutely no interest in dancing. As far as they knew, I only wanted to be a guardian for Lissa. I guess that image of me was shattered when I left the Court though.

_In her eyes  
There's love and fire  
In my heart  
She's burning through  
But I don't mind  
In fact I like it  
Though I'm terrified  
I'm turned on but scared of you_

Throw my hair, one hand on my hip, roll my hips . . . Unknowingly, I was working harder to put on a show, make him jealous and guilty for his loss. Shame he couldn't see through those damned spotlights, maybe he would feel a bit of the pain that he had caused me.

Suddenly, my nausea swelled up and a suspicious figure in my peripheral vision caught my attention. The only thing my eyes focused on were his own red-rimmed eyes. How could one have gotten in? It was impossible, yet as my mind considered it, there were probably quite a few distractions that could've gotten him through the Guardians. Even the 3 Guardians in this room were more focused on me than the crowd. If there was one, there could be more . . .

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**DPOV**

Walking through the glass door that was on the upper-left side of the packed club, I instinctively glanced around to gather my bearings. In front of me was an elevated platform, a stage. To regular people, it would be waist-height. To me? It barely reached my thighs, if that. The stage was fairly big, enough to comfortably fit 6 dancers without having them feel cramped for space. The room itself was spacious, and off to my right were 8 or so tables. I spotted an empty table, which surprised me because the was room was already filling up fast. I motioned to Eddie Castile and Callum Finnigan, the two other Dhampir Guardians on duty, to bring Christian and Adrian over to the abandoned table. There were enough chairs to fit all 5 of us, but I chose to stand in the darkened corner next to the door. The lighting in here was different than the rest of the club, but it just added to the benefit of keeping me concealed. Surely people would get suspicious of a 6"7 man in a leather duster, which was obviously not appropriate attire for clubbing.

As a catchy beat started playing, the crowd all simultaneously turned their heads toward the stage, trying to get a glimpse over the person standing in front of them. I must've been the only person not looking at the stage, as it was my duty to watch both Christian and scan the crowd for potential threats. The song was okay, but it wasn't really my thing.

I sensed three figures enter the stage, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed their tight gold and black attire. That was all I allowed myself, just a peek so I wouldn't get distracted from the real task at hand. Keeping Christian safe was my highest priority, no matter how entrancing the dancers were.

The song ended, and I couldn't help but notice the dancers stood on the stage. One even did an eleborate bow, one was breathing heavily, and the other . . . The middle girl looked like she'd just nothing, maybe a short jog at most. That kind of stamina would have made her a great Guardian, had she decided to follow that career. Was she even a Dhampir? When I went to glance again, the three women had already disappeared over to the side of the stage.

As the next beat thumped through the sound system, I betrayed myself and looked at the stage in hopes that the women would reappear. Luckily, she did, but she was followed shortly by a muscled Dhampir with sandy blonde hair.

The two danced well together, but the dance was too, for lack of a better word, sexual. With some of the daring moves they performed, I felt scandalised. They were never more than 3 inches apart, and at one stage she was on his shoulders, both dancing in such a way that they could've been one person. She back-flipped off of him, again reminding me of her skill, and I noticed she was a Dhampir. In fact, when she flipped her head, there seemed to be black on her neck . . . Was she a promised Guardian? With that skill, why would she have any reason to leave her job?

The song ended, and for some reason I felt regret watching her walk off the stage. Hopefully she would come back on for more, so I could investigate her more.

Granting my wishes, she returned a few minutes later, dressed in a bright red mid-riff top and those tight black shorts. She had on red Vans, and the outfit was matching to the other two girls who walked on the stage as well. One was a Moroi with black hair that came just below the shoulders, and the other a Dhampir with tan skin and long blonde hair. Through the spotlights, I wasn't able to see much more in terms of appearances. I could only see their hair and bodies, their faces all faded into the bright light. The middle Dhampir, the one that caught my eye, was much more skilled than the others. She had tan skin, and her hair . . . It reminded me far too much of my Roza's hair. It was a deep shade of brown, and maybe a few inches longer than Rose's was last time I had seen her, four years ago. It hurt too much to think about, I should've never said those words. _Snap out of it, Dimitri. Focus._

Unfortunately, the song lyrics were not doing too much to help me, either.

_She's a monster  
Beautiful monster  
Beautiful monster  
But I don't mind  
And I need her  
Said I need her  
Beautiful monster  
But I don't mind_

_In her eyes  
There's love and fire  
In my heart  
She's burning through  
But I don't mind  
In fact I like it  
Though I'm terrified  
I'm turned on but scared of you_

That was exactly how I felt about Rose. I think she would've liked this song. No one knew where she was, let alone if she was still alive. All this pain was because of me, and I felt unconditional guilt._ She's still alive. You'll find her one day. For now, get back to your job._

I tried to focus, I really did, but the girls' moves were too captivating. For some reason, my eyes kept coming back to the centre girl. Her hips, her height, her skin, her hair . . ._ No. It can't be. It's impossible. Rose doesn't even like dancing, why would she work here? You've seen her moves, you know she's terrible. Plus, this girl is way more toned than Rose is. _Yet as I told myself these things, it all began to fit together.

As the girl swung her head rapidly from side to side, it suddenly stopped, and I knew where her gaze was placed—me. I think I was just hallucinating, but I swear I finally broke through that blinding spotlight, and it was like my Roza's gorgeous eyes were staring back at me._ No. Stop kidding yourself. It's not her. I'll give you a thousand reasons why it's not her. _

I sighed, accepting defeat from myself. If only it were her, I might get a chance to apologise for all that I've done. It won't be enough, it'll never be enough. No, this girl was coordinated at dancing, and had plenty more muscle than Rose had. Rose still had a bit of puppy fat, this lady was fully grown and had absolutely no fat more than was needed. If only...

I was shocked out of my own thoughts by the scene opening in front of me—the Rose look-alike had stopped suddenly. One of the other dancers was confused, but the other, the blonde-haired Dhampir, looked like she was catching onto the brunette Dhampir's thoughts.

Her face. The dancer's face. It wasn't filled with fear, or anxiety. It was filled with something else, and as the spotlights were shut off, I realised what that was, and that perhaps scared me more than any other emotion.

Determination. Determination to kill.

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**How did you like it? I originally hadn't planned for the Strigoi but I don't know, I just thought of it and I couldn't help myself, oops. Anyway, please review! Don't hesitate to provide healthy criticism and please point out if I've made a mistake! If you have any thoughts of what to include or where this should go, feel free to share with me! Also go check out TheDeadlyEscape's account, the amazing person who let me adopt this story and even completely change the outcome. **

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	2. Easier To Run

_"Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past,_  
_ Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have._  
_ Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back,_  
_ And never moving forward so there'd never be a past."  
Easier To Run, Linkin Park._

**RPOV**

All these thoughts were racing through my mind as I suddenly shot off to the very edge of the backstage area and reached for one of the stakes that I kept there, just in case a situation like this happened. I barely noticed a very confused Jessie, and Alex, who finally understood my actions having undergone the same observation training as I had. She knew me, knew not to get in my way if a Strigoi ever crossed our path, but she still ran off the stage and grabbed two other stakes just in case. She threw one at Jessie before placing herself in a defensive position.

I was back on the stage, and the three idiot Guardians were still staring at me, confused by my sudden actions. Of course, they couldn't see the silver stake in my hand due to the blinding spotlights. As I let these thoughts consume me, so did the darkness, and I launched myself impressively off the stage, landing the metre-tall drop perfectly. The Strigoi was obviously not expecting this, judging by the way he hesitated before leaping into action. _Must be a newbie. Lucky me . . ._ He finally got his act together and ran towards me at the same time both Dimitri and Eddie leaped into action—the third pressed himself against Christian and Adrian. _Took them long enough._ I still don't think they knew for sure it was me, my appearances had long since changed—my body was more toned and defined, and I shook the long side fringe that I had grown out for just this reason out of my ponytail while I was running. They were just throwing themselves before another. Typical Guardian training. Eddie was closer to Adrian than me, but Dimitri was only seconds from launching himself in front of me.

_Shit! _With a sudden burst of energy, I reached the Strigoi and easily staked him without hesitation. I withdrew, and for the first time in four years, I spoke to _him. _No—at him. Really, at any Guardian within hearing range of me. There was a fierceness in my voice that I had placed there both unknowingly out of instinct, and to defend myself from being discovered by them. It sounded slightly different, though I don't know if it was enough. If you listened properly, you could hear the undertone of my usual, normal voice.

"There are 13 others, mostly rookies but there's one ancient. Protect the Moroi in here, and for God's sake, DO NOT help me. I can take those bastards on my own," I spat. Shocked, he gave me a quick nod of acceptance, as did Eddie. Dimitri was still confused about things, namely me—his Guardian mask gone, I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. My hair covered my face, so there was no way that he could see who I was. I knew that given half a chance he would push aside my hair or debate my questionable choices, so I ran out before he could do either, or both of those things.

I was aware of the darkness that I had already let in. It consumed me, not in the nicest way either. I stored all of Lissa's darkness, and if I ever met a Strigoi, I unleashed it upon them. It was a terrible method, and I'm sure Mark would frown upon it, but it worked. Lissa barely felt the darkness anymore as I store all of it, and I let it out when I can. Plus, it felt good, getting all that negative energy out. It may be dangerous but it keeps Lissa happy, and it's an outlet for my anger. Eventually it either burns out, or I get a grip on myself. I'm not the best at controlling it, but it works. Even without the darkness, I had excelled in regular Guardian training. I trained nearly early spare second I had, I could easily take out any Guardian or Strigoi without breaking a sweat. I was a top Guardian, but I kept my skills a secret—if word got out about my level, the Court would easily find me and drag me back to that hellhole. I don't know where they thought I was, or if they even knew I was still alive. My bosses were fine with being quiet about me, well they were once I made sure they knew how badly I could kick their ass's if they ever blabbed. If anything ever got out, I always had Sydney as a last resort.

In the main area, it looked unusually normal. The Strigoi must've been either hiding, or pretending to be normal. A cast at the door let me know that the two other Guardians on duty were unconscious. I was also now aware that through the glass wall, Dimitri was watching me. Now I had to fight a bunch of Strigoi whilst keeping my back to the wall. With the pumping music and room full of sweaty bodies, no one noticed the slow turn of events.

I caught the attention of a couple nearby Moroi, and had them start clearing everyone toward a wall. Now there was a decent area to fight in, but it was missing something . . . There was a need in me, a need to kill. If I didn't get one now, I might've injured a member of the little audience I had racked up. Suddenly, I spun, my senses overpowering me.

And all at once, they charged at me.

My eyes took in nothing more than the 13 Strigoi that surrounded me. There was only me and the Strigoi. No audience, no friends, no former lover. The darkness consumed me, and I had no feelings other than pure hatred.

"You want a piece of this? Well, what are you waiting for? Come and fucking get it," I hissed as I stood in the centre. No one moved. "Oh, are you waiting for me to make the first move? You know you'll never pick up a girl like that. Are you scared? Well, if you won't start, allow me."

With that, I launched myself at the first Strigoi I could land my hands on. I punched his shoulder and heard the crack of a broken bone, before I stabbed his chest. Believe me, I would've done a lot more, if the little self-control I honed hadn't made me vaguely aware of the fact that there was a bigger job here.

I sensed one behind me and before my reflexes could kick in, she launched herself on my back. She was close to snapping my neck, too, but I grabbed her shoulders and slammed her against the ground, staking her while she was mid-air. I staked two others before they could even touch me, and as I neared the door I grabbed a stake from one of the unconscious Guardians' stakes from his pocket.

The next one was pretty, tall with gorgeous vibrant red hair. I could tell she used to be a Moroi, it was such a shame the way all these lives went to waste. She put up a good fight, but it was over in less than half a minute. Even then, I could feel a couple broken fingers from the way my fist hit her skull.

After her, I was taking on them all at once. With two stakes, I was slicing one's arm whilst staking another. Kicking one's legs out from underneath them while smashing another's body against the ground and staking it from behind. It went by fairly quickly, each Strigoi trying and failing to kill me. Yes, I was racking up injuries by the dozen, but none of that mattered now. My hair was a liability, but I worked with it to protect my identity.

Eventually, there were 3 left. Two former Moroi—a blonde and a brunette—and one former Dhampir. They formed a tight triangle around me, and with no exits, I had no choice but to attempt the move I had been trying to perfect for a while now.

I sliced the blonde Moroi's cheek to create a diversion, and dodged her attack. I launched myself toward the Dhampir, and before he could react, I jumped on him. Using him as a platform, I pressed my feet on him and released, backflipping in the air, just high enough to get over the Moroi heads. This placed me out of the circle, and gave me the opportunity to stake the two Moroi. Only one was left now, the Dhampir. By what my senses were telling me, this was the ancient, the oldest Strigoi of the lot.

He put up a good fight, too, but it was obvious from the start that it wouldn't be enough. With all the rage inside of me, I let out it all. I thought I had control, but now it overpowered me. It was burning me out, but I needed to get it out of my system. Nothing in the world could stop me, I needed so desperately to kill this Strigoi, and perhaps a thousand more. I was full of pure hatred and anger, ready to kill anything that crossed my path. I smashed him against the wall, breaking a wrist in the process. He fought back, popping my shoulder out of its socket and giving me a mark that was sure to leave a wicked bruise tomorrow.

I stabbed him, in fact more than once. I plunged my stake through his heart repetitively, not knowing—or caring—whether he was dead or not. I was making this Strigoi pay for all the pain his race had caused me. He deserved to suffer, he deserved to die. I threw his body around, smashed any uninjured part of him I could find. I don't know how long I sat there, punching the lifeless body, but at some point in time I felt a large hand on my shoulder. I would've immediately had the offender on the ground, too, had I not felt the warmth and electricity flow between us.

I froze at his touch, feeling the darkness leave my soul. Now all I had was raw emotion. My fringe still covering my face, I felt safe enough to sit for a few moments, recovering. _No,_ I scolded myself, _wrong person. Anyone but him. _I immediately regretted my decision to stay, I couldn't do this to either him or me. Within a matter of seconds, I harshly brushed his hand off and fled the room. I couldn't face any of them, not now, not ever.

I ran way from the scene, in search of my real friends. Defeated, I sat down in the dressing room and picked up my phone. I dialled the number that was 5th on my speed dial, after Jessie, Alex, Derek, and the pizza shop down the road from my apartment. She didn't bother saying hello, she always knew where the phone call was headed.

"Where are they, and how many evil creatures of the night do I need to turn to ash?" A chirpy voice at the other end of the line greeted me.

"God Sydney, can't I ever just call you to say hello?"

"I've known you for over four years and yet you've never called to say hello. Why start now?"

"You're right. Why start now?" I echoed. "I'm at the club, and there are 14." Sydney was the only person from my old life who knew where I lived and worked now. We talked about the details until I hung up when three people walked in the room.

"God, where were you Rose? We've been looking everywhere!" Alex exclaimed.

"I could ask you the same things. I gave up searching for you ages ago and I've been in here ever since." I think they continued talking after that, but I zoned out. I had too much to think about, namely the certain people who were probably already scheming about how to drag me out of here.

I still hoped that they didn't know about me, but I doubted they were stupid enough to think that. Combining the Strigoi attack, my darkness overload and Adrian's ability to read auras, I didn't doubt that my anonymous identity had been breached.

If these were normal circumstances, I could tell the my boss, Kyle, that I didn't want to see any of them for some lie I'd make up, but these weren't normal circumstances. Everyone who worked here was either Dhampir or Moroi. They'd immediately ask why and when they found out that Christian was here, the Queen and my best friend's husband, they'd make me go talk to them. I had no option that worked in my favour, so I did what any normal girl in my situation would do. I sat down in Derek's lap and hid my face in his neck.

"Your place tonight," I mumbled. He just nodded and I felt one of his hands rest of my hip as he texted on his phone with the other. Suddenly I heard squeals from both Jessie and Alex.

"You dirty, dirty boy!" Alex reprimanded him, for what I do not know. Alex flipped her long blond hair over her head and then quickly tied it up in a high bun. She was beautiful. With long blond hair, tan skin, and dark green eyes, everyone wanted her.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well," Jessie said, putting her own black hair behind her ear. It only came a few inches below her shoulders, but it really brought out her baby blue eyes. "It was something along the lines of you guys sleeping together tonight."

Alex mocked in a deep voice, imitating Derek, "Hey girls, guess what? The sexy thing in my lap is going home with me tonight! She's not going to be able to walk when she leaves." I playfully smacked him on the chest and he smirked.

"It's true." He leaned forward and kissed my neck, making me smile like an idiot.

"Good job with the routines tonight! And Rose—thank you for your quick thinking. I don't know how they managed to get in, but we're upping the Guardians, so you can expect to get a couple extra shifts. Do you want me to call the tattooist?" Kyle spoke to us as he walked in the room. I nodded, and he leant forward to hug us all, except Derek. They did some weird handshake that all guys seemed to know.

"Rose, you have a lap dance request." I attempted to raise an eyebrow, but must've failed considering the smirks I received in return. _One may be sexy, have wicked hair and killin' moves, but damn, one can't have it all._

"Isn't that for the strippers? I'm not a stripper." Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm not forcing you. I can tell him you refuse, but I was asking-"

"No," I interrupted. "I'll do it. I was just curious." _Anything to get away from the people in here, and the people out there._ I snuck out and then went to a place in the top right, on the left of the hallway leading back to the bathrooms and stripping room. There were a few very small rooms, the size of a walk-in closet. All of them contained a chair. Also, little did the customers know, security cameras that were watched live for threats.

I strolled to the third room and opening the door. I shut it behind me before turning to see who it was.

_Shit, it had to be freaking Fireball._

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**So, what do you think? I hope I didn't do too terrible :P I did this in a rush to get it up for you guys because I have school tomorrow, ew. Anyway, I'm not sure how well I wrote the fight scene, so definitely tell me! Please feel free to voice your opinions, and as always, please tell me if you find even the tiniest of mistakes! Most of the time I spend writing this is editing, so please let me know about any errors.**

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	3. Hit The Floor

_"One minute you're on top,  
Next you're not missed your shot.  
Making you're heart stop,  
You think you've won—and then its all gone."  
Hit The Floor, Linkin Park._

**DPOV**

Suddenly, she leapt off the stage with such great skill that any amateur would surely not hone, and landed it with perfect precision. She shook her thick chestnut hair out before I could even contemplate it, and started sprinting towards me. Her steps had such ferocity, aggression, determination. Her feet pounded the tiles as if her life depended on it. _Why on earth would she be running towards _me_ of all people? She doesn't even know me. Does she?_ No—she wasn't running towards me, she was running towards someone else in the audience. Who, I wasn't sure of, but her aggression scared me. This was definitely not a part of the routine. She was fast, so fast, she could give any Olympian a run for their money, but I instantly stiffened as I became aware of the silver grasped in her firm grip. That silver was life-threatening, not the fact that she was wielding the weapon, but more _why_ she was wielding it in the first place. There would only be one reason to have a need for it, one reason to be gripping a silver stake and racing to protect a room, if not a club full of innocents. _They come first._

Eddie and Callum must've come to the same conclusion as me, since we both simultaneously sprung into action. Callum threw himself in front of our two Moroi charges bracing himself for any further attacks. Eddie and I bolted towards the action, but the girl outrun us. Before we could even reach her, she threw herself at the Strigoi and staked him effortlessly without any hesitation.

She spoke to the ground, unwilling to make eye contact. "There are 13 others, mostly rookies but there's one ancient. Protect the Moroi in here, and for God's sake, DO NOT help me. I can take those bastards on my own." There was venom in her words, pure venom that sent shivers down my spine. Her voice was fierce and hard, like she had killed one too many Strigoi and fought too many battles but would do it all again if necessary. Then, there was something I'd only heard a few times in my life. The brutal undertone of someone that was not themselves—someone that had been undeniably consumed by dark magic.

I nodded, and I was about to debate my by-standing role in this attack, but she ran out the door before I could argue. I turned to Eddie and before I made a security plan, I voiced the jumbled thoughts that had been settling in my head.

"Do- do you think-" I was cut off short when Eddie nodded at me.

"Yep, that was Rose alright. Adrian sensed her aura when we entered the club, but he only just confirmed it when she walked on the stage."

"Wow, she's... Changed." Then I sorted my priorities, and got back to business. "You take the stage, I'll take the door. Tell Finnigan he can stay with our charges."

Eddie gave me a curt nod and strode off towards the stage. I walked closer to the door, ready to take on any Strigoi that could break through. I'll admit, I was actually doubting the possibility of Rose successfully fighting off 13 Strigoi. She was good, but she couldn't possibly be _that_ good. No one could be. The odds were against her, but as I watched her in action, I realised just how wrong I was. She was fierce, determined, even graceful. All her moves were fluent as she fought off multiple Strigoi at a time.

Then it really, truly hit me—this was Rose, my Roza, who no one had seen or heard from in years. There had been rumours, and we had searched relentlessly for her, but eventually life just had to continue. This was a miracle, finding her here of all places. This was my chance to redeem myself from the pain I had caused her. I thought that by rejecting her I had saved her from being hurt, but really I had just caused her more pain.

_I have to get her back, I need her. I will do anything for my Roza, I just need her in my life again. How could I have hurt her like that? Even in that moment, back in the church, I didn't mean it. I never meant it. As soon as the Strigoi are down, I'm going after her. I can't let her get away again. I need her. I love her._

**CPOV**

We were in the audience in a club called The Red Door, waiting for the performers to start. The music started, and the dancers arrived, performing energetic moves that would surely require a lot of stamina. The were grinding on the floor when Adrian spoke up. His words caught me completely off guard, and I could feel my eyes widening.

"That's Rose," he said, his voice a barely audible whisper.

"It can't be. She's presumed dead, she hasn't been heard from in the past four years. Aside from that, she is absolutely shit at dancing," I added, unable to resist making a joke at Rose's expense, even with the seriousness of our situation.

"It's her, alright. No one else has an aura like that, no one in the world."

"What's in her aura?" I asked, curiosity overtaking my disbelief.

"The usual, with a couple new things. Purple for passion and determination, with red for strength and anger, and lastly navy blue for heartbreak. Shadows surrounding her like a magnet, though slightly more opaque than before. The strange thing is, there are holes in her aura. Actual transparent holes, fucking holes! I'll have to ask Sonya what it means. No one has ever had holes in their aura's before, it's impossible!" After Rose left, Lissa needed something to keep her busy. She and Mikhail left for 6 months in a quest to find, and restore his beloved Sonya. In finding her, they had also discovered that Lissa had a half-sister, Jill. That was lucky, because it helped Lissa gain her rightful place on the council, and 2 years later when Queen Tatiana stepped down from the throne, Lissa was able to take up the position.

We watched them perform for a few more minutes, and the dances were full of scandalising moves—too much for my taste. They were halfway through the last song when Rose reacted strangely to something in the audience. Eddie and Callum stiffened, and the next few minutes were a blur.

"Shit. It's all black, everything's black! It's blinding me!" Adrian exclaimed, clutching at his head. "The shadows lie in wait, claiming another victim in silent darkness, defying the spectrum and overwhelming the-" Adrian trailed off in yet another Spirit-induced poetry session.

Simultaneous to Adrian's rant, Rose leapt off the stage and ran through the audience, stake in hand. Eddie and Dimitri rushed to her aid, only a few paces behind, as Callum shielded Adrian and I. They were hidden behind others now, but I didn't need to see to know what was happening.

A few seconds later, Eddie returned to us and spoke to Callum about the guarding arrangements before heading to the stage. _Wait—It's only been like 10 seconds? Geez that was quick._

While Rose was outside taking care of the Strigoi—unbelievably by herself—Callum and Adrian and I had a conversation about how we were going to convince Rose to come back to court. Well, Callum and I had a conversation. Adrian still had his eyes scrunched up firmly, but he piped up every now and again.

We planned for me to get a lap dance—against my will—and request Rose. I don't know if the dancers did lap dance's, but surely if we offered enough money they would agree. From there- well, from there we weren't sure where to go. It was up to me, hopefully I would be able to convince Rose to at least consider visiting Court. I had an excuse, anyway, and hopefully it would be enough to persuade her.

Less than ten minutes later, Dimitri came over and gave us the all-clear. Ten minutes? That was impossibly fast, I doubt even Belikov could take on that amount of Strigoi in under ten minutes. We explained our plan to him, and I left to find the manager.

God, this is not going to be pretty. I prayed to anyone listening that Rose would not have to give me an actual lap dance. That would be wrong on so many levels. For a start, it was my fiancé's best friend. Secondly, it was Rose. Okay, so maybe that wasn't too different from the first argument. Still. This was sarcastic, bittersweet Rose. The same Rose who stood up for me all those years ago. The same Rose who I simultaneously loved and hated. The same Rose who used to be able to spend hours easily exchanging our sarcastic banter. I would never admit it out loud, but she was like a sibling to me. An older, arrogant sister, but a sister all the same.

The manager returned to me sooner than I expected, and let me down the corridor. He signed some papers, and nudged me towards the third room. There were about eight all up, sectioned off by wooden doors with small frosted glass panels.

I sat down in the chair and stared at the door, anxiously waiting. My patience was running out, but luckily the door opened and Rose entered. She hadn't noticed me yet, as she turned to shut the door. I smirked, waiting for the showdown.

She turned around, her body already preparing for the dance. Her eyes reached mine, though not a single emotion ran astray on her face. Her face was a blank canvas, not betraying her feelings. I'd never seen her this emotionless and empty. Was it thorough Guardian practice, or was it something more?

I leaned forward, preparing myself for the questioning and persuading.

* * *

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**Yes, I know, I'm so sorry! I don't know why this chapter was so hard to write, I just think I prefer being in Rose's mind, so expect more Rose POV's than anything else in the future. If you do happen to have a request though, feel free to leave it in a review and I'll try to include it for you :)**

**Also, I'm terribly sorry that this chapter only has just over 1,500 words. To some of you, that may seem perfectly fine, but for me it's definitely not enough. The past two chapters have have over 3k words each, and I feel like I should be including at least 3k words in each chapter, if not more. **

**Apologies aside, what did you think? Did I portray Dimitri and Chris right, or would you rather me never do another Chris POV in my life? What do you want to happen? Also, what do you think the mysterious holes in Rose's aura are?**

**Thank you beautiful butternuts, good night xx**

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	4. What I've Done

_"I'll face myself,  
To cross out what I've become.  
Erase myself,  
And let go of what I've done."  
What I've Done, Linkin Park.  
_

**RPOV**

One look at his face, that was all it took. One look at his face, and I turned away and exited the room, slamming the door in the process.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.

I was halfway down the hallway, on my way to get out of this place. At that point, I didn't know what I was going to do. I guess I could always fake being sick, but it was fully known that Dhampirs rarely get sick, especially not Rose Hathaway. I have never once missed a guarding shift or performance, and I didn't plan on it anytime soon. I would just say I heard a rumour of a Strigoi lingering around us, and went to check it out.

Well, that's what I would've said, had Christian's hand not grabbed me from behind. It doesn't matter that it was Christian, instinct kicked in and in an instant I flipped him on his back, my elbow threatening to cut off his oxygen supply as he lay on the black tiles.

"Rose, please. Please just let me talk to you," he begged, gasping for air.

"I don't have to do what I don't want to. You can't force me," I countered, getting up from where I was kneeling on the ground. A few years ago, I may have helped Christian off the ground, but it's not the past. Hell, a few years ago I wouldn't have been the person that threw him on the ground in the first place. Now, I was just pissed that he was trying to get me to speak.

"Yes. Yes I can," he said, oblivious to my rock-hard exterior.

"No, you most definitely can't, as was demonstrated just then. Please, just leave and don't find me again," I stated, turning my face to him.

"Just come back to the room. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to. You know either Lissa or I will eventually corner you again anyway," he stated. Obviously he was getting desperate, which softened my heart just a bit. Christian Ozera didn't get desperate, and he definitely didn't beg me of all people. I think what really got through to me was that he had a point. Now that they knew I was alive, they would find me one way or another. I could run all I wanted, but it would never be enough now. If I went with Christian now, I could continue my job here without fear of having to start my life over for a third or fourth time.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes, "but I have the right to remain silent. Never thought I'd see the day when Christian Ozera would be begging me on his knees." This gained me an impulsive eye roll.

I followed Christian down the long hallway again, for the second time this evening. At least this time, I knew my immediate fate.

* * *

"You don't have to dance," Christian said once we were in the room. I ignored his comment and walked over to him. The cameras didn't have sound, but they had video. I could get in trouble for not dancing. Not that it had stopped me from slapping a couple perverts before, I might add.

"Cameras," I said, nodding my head in the general direction of the camera in the corner, "I have to dance."

I walked over, putting a hand on each arm of the chair before I slowly started moving my butt. "However, it'll be my worse lap dance, I can assure you that now. I'm not trying to turn you on or anything." He shut his eyes for almost a full minute before he could look at me and even then he had the lightest blush on his cheeks.

"Rose, why did you leave?" Christian asked, curiosity enveloping him. I shrugged, deciding to tell him the truth, but as little as possible.

"I was heart-broken. So I left. My turn." I knew full well that my answer left more questions, but I started at him before he could start pestering me. Not that he already wasn't or anything.

I moved to get closer and whispered in his ear, "Why are you here?"

Christian smiled, a happy glint in his eyes as I pulled away. "It's my bachelor party. Lissa and I are getting married next week." I nodded at this, my Guardian mask still up as my face was devoid of emotion.

"I've heard. I check in with the bond sometimes. I was going to be there."

"How?" Christian asked, genuinely concerned about my involvement.

"It's gotten stronger. She can hear me if I ever think something towards her personally. I was going to be there through the wedding and let her know. Finally talk to her, maybe." I flipped my hair over one shoulder and sped up my 'twerking' motion.

Christian still ignored my movements, instead choosing to focus intently on the cracked ceiling tile. His lack of eye contact was starting to piss me off, to be honest. It was his own fault that I was giving him a lap dance. Yes, I was hating it just as much as he was, but that doesn't change the fact that this was his decision, I was just doing what he asked.

"Look me in the eye Sparky," I demanded, trying to ignore the fact that I was giving my best friend's fiancé a lap dance.

"Rose, in case you haven't noticed yet, you're not unattractive. With what you're doing, looking into your eyes would be hard." He opted for closing his eyes again. Honestly, I was kind of starting to enjoy torturing him.

"You dancing all over that tattooed dude with the dark hair really pissed off Adrian. And Dimitri." I sighed and looked at Christian. His hands were tightly gripping the arms on the chair, turning his knuckles even whiter than I thought was possible, not to mention that his eyes were still squeezed shut. You would think he was sitting in front of a demon with the way he was avoiding looking at me.

"Fine, Sparky. Have it your way," I said, ignoring the camera in the room and shrugging. "Kyle probably won't be too pissed since you did pay. Wait, you did pay, right?" Christian nodded. He finally released his death grip and opened his eyes as I stood in front of him.

"So why am I in here anyway? What was the whole point of this?" I sneered.

"To get you to come home. Lissa really wants you there. Not just at the wedding, but back home in general. She misses you so much, you know. Every week, she buys some fresh roses and sticks them in a vase, all in your honour. She thinks—we all think, thought that you were dead."

"I'm going to be there, Chrissie, just not in person." He scowled when I mentioned one of my many nicknames for him.

"Not good enough," he objected, running a hand through his inky black hair in exasperation. "Look, we're not going on a honeymoon until later on in the year. Lissa's Queen now, so we need to plan. She says in a few months maybe. Anyway, what I mean is she'll be there and you can move back to the Court."

"Sparky, I really don't think I'm getting through to you. I left because I didn't want to be there, not to be dragged back." He let out a frustrated sound from the back of his throat and looked at me, his eyes pleading.

"Please, Rose. It would mean so much to her. I didn't even mean to find you here, it was Adrian that picked this place. He said he thought I might like it. This is fate, Rosie."

"Did you just call me Rosie?" I snapped defensively. He smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"And did I mention Adrian really misses you?"

"Are you trying to hook us up?" He was completely silent, confirming my accusation. "Sparky, this is my love life so stay out of it." He just shook his head and stood.

"Rose, you broke his fucking heart, don't you see that?" he exclaimed. "You broke him, Rose. You haven't called in the four years you've been gone. It took him almost all of the first year to forgive Dimitri, and you broke that man's heart too! He killed people after he was changed Rose! Could you have expected him to be okay? He needed space, and you needed attention. That was a relationship headed for disaster, but Adrian really fucking cared because he gave you space while you chased after Dimitri."

"_Don't_ say I'm an attention seeker. You know _nothing_ about me. Honestly, out of all of us, I came out the worst of this. You don't know what I've been through Christian. You don't know what I've done," I whispered. I was reminded of the desperate things I did when I left, so hurt that I needed an escape. I was scared at the thought of my actions, and I shuddered. "Anyway, it's not like I didn't break up with Adrian!"

"The least you could've done was tell him in person. You left him a note! How heartless and selfish is that?" A dead silence followed his outburst. Christian's eyes widened. "Rosie, I'm so sorry." I shrugged his hand off my shoulder where he was trying to comfort me.

"No, you're right," I said quietly. "I was selfish, I know. That's why I left, a fresh start."

"Rose, we all forgave you. Please just come back." I sniffed and then shook my head.

"Not yet. Look, I'll call. I promise." I mumbled.

"Rose-" Christian started, before I interrupted him.

"Please. Leave." Christian gave me one last sympathetic glance before exiting the room, leaving me all to myself to struggle through my intense emotions.

* * *

I was in my car, ready to drive off and forget this whole day when I realised that I had left my handbag and phone inside. _Shit! Eugh, today is NOT my day . . ._

I made my way through the pulsing club and reached the back room whilst safely avoiding the Alchemist's and other certain people.

After some narrow collision misses with a few drunk Moroi, I had my handbag perched carelessly on my shoulder and was finally ready to leave. I walked out the room and towards the bar when I was intercepted by someone.

"I'm sorry," I said as they stumbled.

"Little Dhampir?" I refused to meet his emerald eyes, knowing well that his hopeful gaze would add on to the list of images that haunt me. He even gave me a small smile, and his hand stretched out to me. I stepped back as if his touch would burn me.

"No," I muttered. "I- I have to go. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." Then I walked around him and exited the club, rushing through the sweaty crowds.

As soon as I was inside my car I took my green iPhone from it's usual place in my back pocket and turned it on. Once the start up Apple logo had faded, I dialed Alex's number.

"Who'd you have to dance on?" she asked, not even greeting me. "A pervert or a normal guy?"

"Alex—" I quickly spilled everything that had just happened. She and Jessie both knew my past. Hell, even Derek knew my past, but that was it.

"Look, tell Derek I'm going to his place and I'll use my key to get in. Oh, tell him I'll be waiting, and please don't mock my voice." We both knew that my protest was useless, and that her mocking my voice was inevitable. She realised this and giggled as I hung up on her.

* * *

As soon as I was parked in the garage of Derek's apartment building, I got out with my handbag and walked up the steps into the building. I could easily walk into the elevator and press the button for the 6th floor, but I always chose the stairs. This was due to both my willingness to stay fit, and a couple bad experiences in elevators.

I used the spare key on my black key ring to get into Derek's apartment. Yes, I had the spare key.

I took a shower and lathered myself with a rose body wash from my favourite store, Lush. I inhaled deeply as I let the scent of rose, along with the soft notes of lemon and geranium carry away my worries. I towel dried myself and put some lotion and deodorant on.

I dressed myself, using the spare set of clothes I kept here in case I ever spent the night and forgot my clothes. They finally came in handy.

The bra and panties in the spare set were actually good looking black lace, luckily for me. I was now wearing a loose, red off-the-shoulder top, which I paired with simple black jean shorts.

I grabbed the a donut from the cupboard and sat down on the lounge, watching TV while I waited for him.

Well, I wasn't really watching the TV more than I was zoning out and focusing on my problems at hand. I had two choices—one was waiting here for the inevitable, which would be Lissa or one of the sort sending Guardians to extract me from my comfortable lifestyle. The other was running again. It would mean picking up yet again and leaving my job, friends and sort-of boyfriend to travel across the world, waiting for my past to catch up with me. I would have to enlist Abe's or perhaps Sydney's help to blow me off the record once again, and I really hated bothering them. Honestly, I didn't want to leave. I guess I always knew, deep down, that one day I would be found and I would have to face my past. I was tired of running, tired of always having to watch my back. Maybe it really was time for me to return to Court?

I brushed these thoughts out of my head, instead anxiously waiting for Derek to return so I could lose my thoughts in the bliss of sex. I know it's sick, but we used each other like that. I couldn't get pregnant and we were both clean, so why not? We both had things to forget, and being each other was the perfect way to do that.

Sex with Derek would be the perfect thing to help me forget everything for just a few minutes, maybe even the rest of the night if I didn't have yet another nightmare or get sucked into Lissa's head.

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	5. With You

**_Special thanks to smart8705, my 100th follower! Yay!  
_****_Thank you all so much for supporting this story and just generally being amazing!_**

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_"Now I'm trapped in this memory,_  
_ And I'm left in the wake of the mistake, slow to react._  
_ So even though you're close to me,_  
_ You're still so distant and I can't bring you back."_  
_With You, Linkin Park._

**RPOV**

Sex really does help you forget, for just a little while. For a while, even just a minute, you can shut off your brain and get some peace.

The morning after you kind of regret it though. With Derek and I, there's no chance of pregnancy so I don't have those worries. My worries are more along the lines of, "How could I sleep with another man when I just saw the man I had loved right in front of me?"

I tried to forget all that as I grabbed Derek by his bare shoulder and pulled him towards me.

We had just woken up a few minutes ago and came into the living room. I was laying down on the lounge, my feet in his lap.

He fell over and landed on top of me, supporting his weight with his arms. He kissed me deeply and his hand went under the tee I had borrowed from him and traced over my lace panties. I felt a shiver go through me as goosebumps popped up on my skin where his hand touched me.

_"Rose?"_ a voice in my head called. _"Rose, please answer me!"_

_Wow, shit! Is that Lissa, or am I hallucinating?_

"What the fuck?" I muttered. Derek lifted himself off me, confused. He ran a hand through his hair and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Remember what I told you about the bond?" I asked. He nodded.

"Well, I have a feeling that it's somehow grown stronger. Lissa's calling out to me" I said, knowing full well that I sounded bonkers.

_"What do you want? I told Christian I would call."_

_"For some reason, I __got sucked into your head. It really is annoying, especially because I don't know who that guy is! __Is he your boyfriend?"_ I sighed and gave Derek an apologetic look. Of course my best friend that I haven't seen in three years still managed to be a cock block.

_"Look, I'll come to your wedding."_ Even I was surprised by what I was saying. It was mostly to get her out of my head and off my back, though. _"I'll call you later today and schedule flight plans. Please, just get the fuck out of my head."_

I winced as I heard a high pitched squeal in my head. _"Yay! Oh, and Rose?"_

_"Yeah Liss?"_

Her voice dropped to a horrified whisper._ "Has this—has this ever happened while I've been, you know-"_

_"Yes. On multiple occasions in fact." _I could practically feel her cheeks burn up in embarrassment.

I felt a little tingle in my head, and I guessed that meant she was out.

"So Lissa just interrupted our morning sex?" Derek asked, looking annoyed. I nodded, but grinned, pulling him back to me.

The first time Derek and I hooked up was because he had tattoos. As in full sleeves, chest, stomach, back, and one of the back of each calf.

Me, being the little temptation that I was, had asked if I could see them. After he was shirtless he asked if he could see mine and when I informed him I wasn't inked he had said the most seductive thing.

"Okay, I meant for you to take off your shirt anyway."

Not very romantic, but _we_ weren't romantic.

I only thought of this because I saw Derek putting on a shirt right before we walked out of his apartment. He grinned at me and then came over and put an arm around my waist.

Of course, I had gotten dressed too. I had on a pair of jean shorts and an off-the-shoulder crop top that showed my flat, toned stomach.

"So, where are we going?" I asked. He smirked down at me and walked out the door, swiftly locking it as he shut it.

"Just Marco's Diner," he replied. I nodded and he put his hand in mine and led me out of his apartment and down to the garage of the building.

"I'll take my car so I don't have to come back here later," I explained, unlocking the door to my silver Audi A5. Despite how much I teased Sydney about her car fetish, I had named this car Oliver. There was no real reason, I just felt that my car looked like an Oliver.

"Okay, I'll meet you there," I heard him say before all outside noise was cut off by my car door slamming shut. I turned the air conditioning on and the radio up, before starting the car and heading to Marco's.

It wasn't like I was expecting anything special about breakfast. Derek and I were friends with benefits, emphasis on friends. He was not really interested in me nor me in him. We both just kind of needed an escape, and we both were ready and willing. I didn't really feel love anymore, apart from the platonic kind. _And with Dimitri. You know you'll never lose that._ With the job and life I live, it's just easier to forget and refuse yourself emotions.

However, one thing I _really_ wasn't expecting was to see a familiar car in the parking lot. It was a big black SUV. It reminded me of the Court's cars, but really? I highly doubted Christian and them would pick a small, underrated diner to eat at. What really made my heart sink was the Pennsylvanian license plate that adorned the back of the car.

Unfortunately for me, my suspicions were confirmed when I walked in and saw them sitting in a booth in the upper far corner. I had no option for escape that would leave me unnoticed, so I just kept my head high and pretended not to notice them.

I walked beside Derek, on the side furthest away from them, and we strolled up to the counter where we ordered. We ordered the usual, two cappuccinos and a chocolate glazed donut—for me, of course. The barista fixed our coffee and handed it to us as Derek turned to sit in our usual spot. Before he could take another step, I subtly tugged at his shirt and pulled him to the complete opposite corner, as far away from the aforementioned group as possible.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked me in a hushed tone. I didn't reply until we sat down, needing some time to get my urgent thoughts together. I flinched as I felt someone's eyes burning into my head. "Rose, a man is staring at you and I don't like it." He gave a defiant glare over my shoulder and I cried on the inside.

"Black hair and blue eyes is Christian. Light brown hair and green eyes is Adrian. Dark brown hair and dark brown eyes is Dimitri. The short one with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes is Eddie. I don't know the other one."

"Well Adrian is looking over here," Derek said. "Well, now so is Dimitri. Oh shit, they all are." I felt my inner hopes that they didn't see me get crushed. "Well, that's not good."

"No shit, Derek," I muttered. I took a bite of my donut as he began to interrogate me.

"So, you never filled me in. Why did they come to get you?"

"It was an accident. Adrian said it would be a good club so they came and coincidentally, I work here." He raised an eyebrow.

"The same Adrian that was your boyfriend? And would the aforementioned Dimitri be the same Dimitri that smashed your heart and is the reason you exist in my life?" My death glare didn't seem to affect him as he carried on. "It doesn't bother me, though. True love only comes once and it lasts forever."

"Are you saying I should go back?" I demanded, finishing off the rest of my donut in a single bite. _Man, I wish I bought another._

"Yes, Rose. I am. I swear if you don't go back, I'll personally drag your white ass all the way across the country and dump you at that chick's house." I just stared at him. Derek was a decent guy and all, but he had never showed such emotion on my old life. We'd always shied away from that because my new life was all he really knew.

"Derek, chill. I just don't really want to go back, is that so bad? I left to get away from it all."

"No, you left because Dimitri broke your heart." He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, I guess, it was. I stared at him for a minute before standing up to leave.

"Rose, wait. I didn't mean it like that." I ignored him, dumped my cup in the trash, and walked out. I heard his hurried footsteps behind me.

He had only told the truth. I was just a weak and pathetic excuse for a human being. I couldn't even go on with life, I had to break up with a compassionate person to flee my whole life. I hoped to God that Adrian had moved on without me, but I honestly wasn't sure if he had it in him.

"Rose!" He grabbed my arm and spun me around, forcing me to face him. "I'm so sorry, baby. Please, forget I said anything. Okay?" I just nodded and turned away.

"Why are they here?" I whispered, hiding my face in his chest. "Why can't they just leave me alone?"

"Because you're special. No one wants to leave you when they could have you." He ran his hand over my hair in a smooth, calming way. I sighed as he kissed the top of my head. For the first time I wondered what would happen if we did love each other. We already had the physical chemistry, but our hearts just weren't there.

"Thanks Derek," I whispered, pulling away and wiping my face. Luckily, I hadn't put on any makeup this morning. I didn't really need any, not trying to sound conceited.

"Anytime baby. Now, I've got to go home and wash clothes. These were my last clean set." I smiled as he kissed my forehead and then turned to walked a few parking spaces down to get in his car. I had already reached Oliver and was opening my door when I heard it.

"Cute couple," I heard him say as I froze on the spot. When I finally got my sense back, I went to trying to unlock my car door, but I couldn't get the key in. His pale hand covered mine as he guided the key into the lock and I felt his chest on my back.

"Adrian," I said softly. "I can't do this." I opened the door and then it was slammed shut by him and he pushed me against the car, a hand on each side of my body.

"Rose, just listen to me. Please come back. Just for the wedding. Then maybe you'll want to stay longer. You're only twenty-one, you have time to experiment with this."

"No. I can't be around-"

"Just think about it," he begged, his face just a few inches from mine. "Rose, please just come back. Just for a week, please. Give it a chance." I couldn't say no to those big green eyes, so I just bit my lip in response. Adrian lifted his hand and pushed a piece of my chestnut hair behind my ear.

"You still have my number?" Adrian asked. I nodded shakily. "Please call me. I'd really like to at least know if you're dead or alive from now on," he growled as he stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets.

The lasers his eyes shot through my body were too much, so I turned away and slid into the driver's seat. When I drove away, I saw Adrian walking back into Marco's.

As much as I wanted to, I knew I wouldn't call him. There were so many reasons, but I just couldn't. I couldn't bear to face the past; and I couldn't bear to inflict pain on those I used to love.

* * *

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**Guest Q & A Time!**

**To all guest reviewers, thank you for taking the time to review and give me your feedback. It means a lot to me; I really appreciate it! 3**

**A guest reviewer asked how many molnija marks Rose now has. The answer? All will be revealed in good time! (sorry not sorry)**

**Also, another guest called called _ThatOneGuest _gave me a really nice review and made my day! Normally I wouldn't reply to guest reviews within an authors note, but you just had to be acknowledged. I really hope that whoever you are, you read this and just know how happy your review made me! You gave me so many compliments, and also told me that you thought Christian's POV was a little dodgy. Normal people would be sad to hear that, but I am all up for that and love when people give me honest criticism and opinions rather than holding back. Thank you so much _ThatOneGuest, _I hope to hear from you again! Love you! **

**To other reviewers- if you really want to ask a question/give your opinion and would like a reply, please use an account! It isn't required, but if you find it urgent and would really like a reply, I would rather give it to you personally than take up space in the author's note! Thank you xx**

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	6. Wastelands

_"In the wastelands of today,  
When there's nothing left to lose.  
And there's nothing more to take,  
But you force yourself to choose."  
Wastelands, Linkin Park.  
_

**RPOV**

"Now, this step looks easy, but it's not. It builds a lot of tension in your legs, and it's hard to keep the stance," Carmen instructed. As always, she performed the move and made it look easy. Then Brett—her dance partner and husband—picked her up and she moved her legs out to do a split in mid-air as he held her sturdily.

"This is hard," he said to Derek, "because you can't have shaky legs or arms. You know our number one rule is to make the make the most complicated dance look easy for you and hard for others."

So Derek picked me up.

"No!" Carmen shouted.

"You have to pick her up faster," Brett demanded. We tried again. They might have been strict, but they loved us like their own kids and they made us one of the best dance couples around.

* * *

"Good job today," Carmen complimented us as we were walking out of the studio and towards our cars. "You'll do great tomorrow night." I just smiled in return and hugged her, flattered by her praise.

"It's all thanks to you and Brett," I replied. "You guys are the best teachers." Suddenly Carmen got serious and looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. Both her and Brett were dhampir and Carmen was spanish. She didn't have the accent since her mother moved to America when she was pregnant with Carmen, but she looked it.

"I heard about Christian coming to visit," she said in a quiet voice. "Do what's right. Okay, honey?"

"Okay Mom," I replied sarcastically as she smiled broadly, kissing my forehead and then walking off. I watched her retreat, holding hands with her husband.

I turned and glanced back just in time to see Derek pulling out of the empty parking lot, leaving me just how I felt—alone.

I left the studio and started the quiet drive home. Well, it was quiet for the first 2 minutes, before I gave up trying to protect my hearing and twisted the volume dial, blasting the tainted thoughts out of my head. As I neared the traffic lights, I made a quick decision and pulled up into the right lane rather than the middle—maybe a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts would help me.

* * *

"Jessie, you look nice," I complimented. She had white eyeliner pencilled around her bright blue eyes, making them appear larger, and her inky hair was curled perfectly.

"Thanks," she muttered, applying blood-red lipstick. "I have a date in a few minutes. He's a water specializer, just like me!" Then she snapped the compact shut and grabbed her purse before throwing it over her shoulder.

"Cool," I said, sitting down on the couch and flipping through channels on TV. Suddenly Alex came in and plopped down beside me. I looked over just in time to see water from her glass fly out the top of her glass; a consequence of the impact from her sudden movement. I was mentally preparing myself for the possibility of becoming drenched when the water flow stopped suddenly and gently fell back into the glass.

"You're welcome," Jessie smirked at us. She might not have the energy we had, but she was always proud of her ability to manipulate the water around us.

"Thanks," Alex gurgled around the mouthful of water she was swallowing. She pushed back a piece of her straightened hair and set the glass down on the table.

That's when Fancy by Iggy Azalea started playing from the coffee table. I reached for my phone, expecting it to be from Derek.

"Hello?" I answered, not even looking at the Caller ID.

My first mistake.

"What about those flight plans?" Her voice shocked me. My mouth hit the floor and my heart rate picked up at the sheer calmness of her voice, as if this was an everyday thing.

"Lissa?" I asked.

"And you never called Adrian. I guess I shouldn't have expected something instantaneous, but still. Call the man. He needs it, he hasn't let go of his phone yet. Christian called me and complained about how his cell is now a permanent attachment to him."

"Why are you calling me? I'll make the arrangements later." I could almost see her rolling her eyes at that.

"Look, I've already made them. Be at the airport at 3am tomorrow. You should make it to the Court by midday. It's a private plane, so feel free to bring friends. Just make sure you get yourself here."

"Lissa, I'm coming, okay? Just leave me alone and let me do this myself."

"But you'll never do it if I don't butt in." Sadly, she was right. She knew me too well. "Now, bring whoever you want. Just get your ass up here in time for the wedding."

"Lissa, that's all nice and rosy for you, but I have no suitable dress!" Anything that would get me out of going back to hell.

"Don't worry, I found the perfect dress for you. It isn't your usual, but a black dress would clash with my white one in the wedding pictures."

"Woah, wedding pictures?"

"Of course, why wouldn't you be in them? You're my bridesmaid of course!"

_Shit. Well, this was unexpected._

"I already have Mia as my maid-of-honour, sadly. Tasha and Viktoria Belikov are my bridesmaids, and so are you!" Lissa continued enthusiastically.

"Let me talk."

"No. Now, we still need to talk about arrangements. The table settings have already been planned, but I managed to get you squeezed into my table although I had to kick Tasha off. I don't know how much you'll like who you have to sit next to though, he's—"

"Vas-"

"Don't call me by my first name," Lissa snapped, the first time she used real emotion during the phone call. "You weren't there to help me plan my wedding and it fucking hurts, Rose." I was surprised by the fact that she actually swore. "Now, _please_ just go along with it. I need you there for my wedding. Hell, the reason we waited four years to get married is because I was waiting for you to call or come back! You must've felt the nights I cried for you. Why didn't you ever just send a letter or anything? I missed you! _You_ left _me_, with no warning, you left no contact, you didn't answer anything. You can wait to complain, because I've done enough waiting in my life, so just come to the wedding."

"Lissa, why were you being so calm? And yesterday, when you came through my head, why weren't you more surprised? Didn't you think I was dead?"

"Christian called me before I entered your head. I was so overwhelmed with the new information, and I think that's what brought me to you. As for being calm right now, I'm barely holding it together. You just wait until I see your face in person, over the phone is no way to rip someone's head off."

"Lissa, I'm sorry." For the first time, I looked around. I had blocked out all my surroundings while Lissa rattled on. Jessie hadn't left yet and was standing, giving me a flummoxed look. Alex was giving me that same look, but she was sitting and slowly sipping at her water, a perfect eyebrow raised.

"Look Rose, just get on the plane at three. Okay? I'll have someone meet you at the airport in the Court and drive you to your guest house. It'll be huge, so you can share it with your friends. I guessed you'd feel uncomfortable staying alone in the Court, you know? And I didn't think you'd want to live with me and—"

"Lissa! Shut up." Silence met my demand, with which I was satisfied. "I'll come. Just stop freaking out. I'll start packing." Then I hung up.

"So we're coming with you?" Jessie asked, excited. I nodded, to which they both squealed.

* * *

I had called Derek earlier and now Jessie, Alex, and I were packing.

"Yep," I confirmed yet again, shoving another pair of jeans in the duffel bag. "I'm dragging you with me to the torturous wasteland also known as the Court." Alex sighed and neatly folded her clothes. Jessie had asked if this was really happening at least 5 times now.

"It's so beautiful there," Alex said to Jessie. "Don't let Rose fool you. She just doesn't like the people."

"Why? Are the people mean?"

"Not to you," I interrupted. "You're Moroi. They're unappreciative of dhampir, especially ones who aren't guardians. Plus, that's where Christian, Lissa, Eddie, Dimitri, Adrian and Mia live. Among others."

Once I finished with clothes, I closed that duffel bag and opened another smaller one. All my bags were black, my signature colour. My beloved handbag was a gorgeous piece with black faux leather and silver studs covering both sides.

I went to the bathroom and opened the middle draw to pack my blow dryer and straightening iron. I wanted to pack my curling iron, but in an effort to save space I'd decided to leave it at home; I'd just use my hair straightener to do that like all the hairdressers did—despite the fact that I'd already tried it multiple times with miserable results. I grabbed my toiletries bag from the bottom draw, adding in all my hair, face and body products. I'd put my makeup bag in my handbag to keep with me for touch-ups.

When I finished with that I put my purse on my shoulder and my phone in my back pocket—connecting my head phones first—and cranked up the music.

"Ready?" I asked, looking at Jessie and Alex. They both gave me a thumbs up and we went downstairs to the garage and piled everything in Alex's car. She had the biggest, an Explorer. After using amazing skills gained from years of Tetris battles to pack everything in her trunk, we headed back upstairs and waited for Derek.

Once he arrived, we managed to squeeze his bags in the front seat before setting off for the airport. I ignored everyone, zoning out completely and bracing myself for the journey to come.

* * *

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**So, what do you think will happen when she gets to the plane? Or, when she arrives at Court? I hope you like it and review, I'd love to hear your predictions! Sorry about the short chapter length. I used to aim for 3k words, but now each chapter will be at least 2k, so I don't have as much stress. Also, if you haven't already, please go check out my new story, _Sempiternal! _Please read and review that one as well if it appeals you! **

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	7. When They Come For Me

_"I am not a pattern to be followed,_  
_ The pill that I'm on is a tough one to swallow._  
_ I'm not a criminal, not a role model,_  
_ Not a born leader, I'm a tough act to follow."  
When They Come For Me, Linkin Park.  
_

**RPOV**

We were on board a fairly spacious—and extremely luxurious—plane with four Guardians, excluding myself. I sat opposite Guardian James Lofton, a toned blonde with a hypnotising British accent. We were currently engaged in a head-on battle of checkers, and he exchanged enough witty comments to rival Christian.

"Jay, you are losing dramatically. _To a girl._" The words drifted down the sitting area—yes, this plane had a sitting area. I had only been on this plane for an hour, yet I could already identify Guardian Basil Carrillo by his voice alone.

Well, it sounded like a big feat, but a monkey could do it. It wasn't that hard to recognise Basil's rich, deep voice, laced thickly with a strong Italian accent that had grown on me.

"All part of the master plan, Bas," James replied with a wink in my direction.

"And would that master plan include losing, dear Jay Jay?" James visibly winced at the nickname I had created for him.

"Losing on your part maybe, but not on mine." He skipped his last playing piece three times in a row, taking out my last three pieces. He proceeded to jump up and throw his arms in a victors 'V' shape. "Winner!"

"In your dreams," I muttered, the sounds of Jessie's giggles and Basil's throaty chuckles floating up from the back seats.

As soon as they met, Basil and Jessie had hit it off. They were quite a sight—in fact, they looked like a perfect match, both with matching black hair and pale skin. They had been all cosied up on the back seat for at least forty minutes, ever since Basil had switched co-pilot roles with Guardian Jenkins.

Guardian Jenkins was a quiet Guardian, perfectly happy with his solitude. His olive face was tough and weathered, his eyes constantly alerted, rich with the haunted appearance of someone who had seen one too many horrors. I wanted to know more, to tell him that it was okay to share, to let him know that there were others who felt the same pain—others like me—but I knew all too well how difficult it was and how being pressured could make a person act. The only acknowledgement he had given me was a simple nod, as it was the other Guardians had to tell me that his first name was Travis.

Apparently the last Guardian's name was Frederick Malcolm, but I had yet to meet him since he was the pilot of the aircraft. Honestly, he was one of the few Guardians I had ever been truly looking forward to meeting.

A name like Fred? If, when I met him, he had bright red hair and a twin brother called George, I would probably scream.

All of us—well, with the exception of stoic Travis—had been getting along swimmingly. Both James and Basil were easy-going and friendly, so I had no problem getting to know them.

Of course, they already knew me. Apparently, there was barely a person in the world that didn't know of me. Both Moroi and Alchemist's had people specifically searching for me for the first few years, as well as my face on pretty much every single noticeboard and telegraph pole, a few training facilities and academies had been put on lockdown, and I was even on the human Missing Person's List. I had known they were searching, but not to that extent. I naturally assumed Sydney had taken care of everything, but surely that much hiding had required a few favours called in here and there. Who she had called and how she had managed them, I had no idea, but this was something I'd ask about later. Planes were already unnerving enough for me.

After they had informed me of the situation, I learnt about them. Basil and James had met when they were both in school, ironically at St. Vladimir's. Now, James was on Patrol at Court, and Basil was anxiously awaiting a new assignment. They truly looked as though they had a strong, deep friendship that ran through blood and bone. They joked with each other; they even finished each other's sentences and shared the same views.

_Flashback_

_"Okay," I stood from my seat as soon as the plane was airborne and we were free to move. I crossed my arms defiantly and put my silent, no-emotion, you-better-watch-your-back Guardian mask on before continuing. "If we're going to last more than two minutes in a tiny aircraft shaft without ripping each other to shreds, I'm going to need to know a few things."_

_"Of course," James replied, his charming accent weakening my knees._

_"Graduation age for dhampir?" I propelled myself into the questioning._

_"18," they replied simultaneously with no hesitation._

_"Moroi fighting – for or against?"_

_"For."_

_"Chocolate donuts or cinnamon?"_

_They shared an amused glance before continuing, again, astoundingly at the exact same time. "Chocolate."_

_I death stared them for a moment, glaring into their eyes just to watch them squirm. Basil actually physically gulped, the only show of his uneasiness._

_"I approve."_

_Then, James pulled out a paper bag from underneath the table. No—it couldn't be . . ._

_"Are you going to play nice now? Good girl, good girl. You want this? Here you go girl, go get it!" He coaxed in a tone that suggested he was treating me the same way he would when training a dog. He then threw the bag a good 10 feet away._

_I gave him another glare and shot down to retrieve the bag, revealing the sweet chocolate-covered goodness which I pulled out in victory._

_"How did you know?" I exclaimed._

_"Well, let's just say—" started James._

_"—a little birdy told us of your unusual and concerning addiction," Basil followed James' lead._

_"It really is a big concern for all of us, Rose. We believe that in no way should consuming that number of donuts be good for your internal organs—"_

_"—and we recommend you to take this matter to your health care professional," finished Basil._

_"Hey, it's not good unless it has the possibility of giving you diabetes, heart disease, or both," I said defensively, defending all the donuts of mankind._

_They both just chuckled in that weird twin-like way of theirs and sent me a wink._

_End Flashback_

James started another checkers match with Derek, whilst Basil went to swap with Travis. James hadn't been trained even the slightest bit of piloting, and therefore was barely allowed to even enter the cockpit.

I looked over to my right to see Jessie and Alex engaged in excited chatter over a magazine that Alex had brought with her, pointing at all the different articles and pretty much anything with sequins.

Travis emerged from the cockpit, carrying a book and a sandwich box. Wait, was that—

"The Fault In Our Stars?" I asked, apparently out loud as he nodded his head as way of reply.

"Good novel," he stated, his soft voice surprising me. The tenderness certainly didn't as if it would come out of his vocal box—with his lean, muscly build, I expected his voice to be rough.

"Is it? I've never read it." Although this was true, I had heard how it was a sad, moving romance novel—certainly not the sort one would expect a gruff, late-twenties Guardian to read. Jessie had tried forcing me to read it several times, but I just didn't have the motivation nor time.

"You should. If I'm not corrected, you can relate."

"How? I don't have cancer, and I certainly haven't lost anyone to it."

"But you may as well have," he whispered, more to himself than me.

"Oh. Yes. I can," I whispered back.

There was an unspoken_ so can I _lingering on the tip of his tongue, and we both knew it in the thousand messages that passed between our eyes. Wanting to lighten the mood, I peeked over at the sandwich box.

"What's in this? If it so much as resembles a sandwich, it's not yours anymore." I leant over and opened the box, taking out a half of the chicken sandwich and cheekily biting into it.

"What? I warned you. You had time to retaliate. It's mine now." As I spoke between bites—well, more like monster chomps— I could see the faint ghost of a sad smile on his lips. His face winced, as though this particular expression had not encountered him in a long time.

We ate in silence, watching the boys' checkers match. By the end, James had won again, and he was really rubbing it in.

I turned on my phone to check the time, and was shocked with what I had unlocked it to.

"Are you kidding me, James?" I exclaimed. He had taken multiple selfies with me earlier on, and had evidently sneakily changed my background to the one where we were both goofing around. I had gone cross-eyed, and he had pulled his head back so it gave the illusion that he had more than one chin—four, in fact.

I laughed and locked it back up. I would keep the background until someone else changed it, as a sort of souvenir. Before, It was a picture of Jessie pulling a funny expression that only she could do—on average, one of my friends changed it about once a week. I had long since given up trying to stick with a simple picture, it was barely even worth the effort.

I looked up to see Travis' retreating figure.

"Jenkins! You forgot something." I help up his bright blue novel.

"You keep it. I'll be around Court for a while, just return it to me when you're done." He turned back around and exited, as he turned around I couldn't help but wonder who he had lost.

* * *

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**Well, what are you waiting for? It's time to tell me what you thought, as well as your predictions! Although I'm overwhelmed at the amount of reviews TRD is already getting, a little more couldn't hurt, right? I believe an extra-early chapter requires extra reviews! Also, sorry it's just pretty much a filler chapter. Nothing much has happened here, but do you like the introduction of the new Guardians? What do you think is Travis' story? And, do you think Frederick will have red hair(and a hand-me-down robe)? ;)**

**Even if there could always be more(nothing will ever be enough for any avid fanfic author), I am still completely and utterly overwhelmed at the amount of faves, follows, and reviews I've been getting! With only 7 chapters currently under my belt, I am actually so, so lucky with the amount of support I've been getting, especially compared to some. Not only that, but every single last bit of it has been positive! Thank you all for that, but remember to tell me if you found a mistake, or if you just plain hate it. If you don't like my fic, I would actually like to know, because everyone deserves an opinion. Also, how can I improve upon my writing if I don't know what I've done wrong?**

**Lastly, if you guys want to thank someone for this extra-early chapter, thank my friend Chloe! Go check out her Instagram**** (nerd_girl_at_st_vlads),**** because she is the one and only reason you are getting an update tonight! Without her motivation, you'd still be waiting till Friday!**

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	8. Blackout

_"I'm stuck in this bed you made,  
Alone with a sinking feeling.  
I saw through the words you said,  
To the secrets you've been keeping."  
Blackout, Linkin Park.  
_

**RPOV**

We had just arrived at Court. There was no grand entrance, no awaiting crowds, for which I was completely thankful for.

My plan was to just hopefully stay under the radar a bit so hopefully no one would notice me. Then, with luck, I could simply leave after the wedding and everyone could go on with their lives like I had never been there-which, in my opinion, was best.

It was better for everyone if I left before they became too attached. I was a bad influence, my opinion was invalid, and just having me around would mess up the whole system as they had known it. Honestly, the Moroi world was messed up enough as it was, they didn't need me around to screw it up even more. _This will be better for everyone, they don't need me around,_ I had convinced myself long ago.

Of course, things always go according to plan in the fairytales. When it comes to my life, almost never.

* * *

Usually, considering we weren't Royal or an urgent matter, we would have landed in the closest airport to Court. Now, however, due to Lissa's request, we had landed right smack-bang in the middle of Court's landing strip.

Thankfully, it was just past 11am, and most of Court's citizens were asleep. The snobs that were awake, however, were openly gawking at who on Earth would possibly be landing at such a preposterous time.

Boy, I gave them something to look at.

As I stepped off the plane, there were a couple Moroi off to the right whose jaws I could see practically dropping to the ground.

Grabbing my luggage, I made my way to the Queen's housing with Jessie, Alex, Derek, along with the Guardians from the plane in tow.

Yes, Fred did have red hair.

I made my way over to him and got straight to the point of conversation.

"So, do you have a twin called George?" I teased.

He sighed. "Ugh, I knew this was going to come soon."

"So?"

"So, what?"

"So, is George fictional or have I really just found my own life-size Weasley twins?"

"No. But-"

"That really is a shame," I interrupted, "it would have been so great if you did have a twin."

"You didn't let me finish," Fred replied. "I don't have a twin called George. I do, however, have a younger sister who is so pleasantly named Georgina."

"No!" I exclaimed. "Oh. My. God. You have _got_ to be kidding me! This is gold!"

"Unfortunately, my mother had an obsession with the whole Harry Potter franchise." He sighed for the umpteenth time in this conversation, exasperated.

"Unfortunately? This is priceless." I turned serious. "You know I'm never going to let you live this down."

"Oh, I know. I knew what I was getting into. I should have just lied, really," he mumbled, cut off by the mammoth shadow of a building looming in front of us.

We reached the door, and the Guardians unlocked it with a card and pin combination. After silently passing through the many twists and turn of the mansion's hallways, we finally reached our destination.

The door was gorgeous, really. It had tiny, intricate carvings down the sides, in a series of strategic-yet-randomly-placed swirls. A big banner with the Dragomir family crest hung over the door frame, claiming residency with pride.

I exhaled a breath that I didn't know I was holding, and took a step forward. Basil swiped his card, James typed the key, and—

I was shrouded by blackness.

* * *

I awoke with a start some amount of time later, and jumped out of bed in a defensive position. _Wait, bed?_

I was in a large room, extravagantly decorated with green and gold, the Dragomir colours. Over to the left was an oversized dresser and wardrobe, along with the entrance. Ahead of me were two more doors, and on the right was my favourite person in the world.

"Oh my God, are you alright? I'm _so_ sorry, really, I didn't mean to. I was just so excited about seeing you and I gave you a hug but I guess you weren't ready for it because—" I cut off her long line of speech. As it was, I could tell she was out of breath already.

"It's okay, Liss. Look at me, I'm fine. Now how long was I out?" I asked as she nodded obediently.

"Only about five minutes. I was just about to call the Royal medics, do you still need them?" She asked, her words laced with concern and worry.

"No." I grabbed her hand and pull her into a hug. "God, I'm so glad to finally see you," I whispered into her ear.

"Same goes for me," she whispered back. "Rose?"

"Yeah Liss?"

"You're strangling me," she croaked, and only then I noticed just how tightly I was holding onto Lissa.

"Oh, sorry!"

I looked around the room and found three Guardians, as well as Jessie, Derek, Alex—and Christian. Thankfully, no Dimitri.

"Hey, Chrissie. Hope I didn't hurt your feelings by hugging your wife," I teased.

"Fiancé," Lissa corrected.

"Hey, it may as well be wife. What day is the wedding, anyway?" I asked. Maybe if I acted as normal as possible, they wouldn't work as hard in forcing me to stay.

"Thursday. All the academies are getting a week off school, though I wish I could say the same for the Guardians. Unfortunately, things don't always go in favour," she trailed off, her eyes staring at nothingness.

"Hey, it's okay. You can't control it. It's not your fault," I tried to comfort her.

"Thanks, Rose. I appreciate it. Hey, do you want to stay over tonight, just the two of us? I can kick Christian out to Eddie's, and Basil can take your friends back to the guest house." Lissa was already shooing everyone else out the door, leaving no space for me to reject. "Sorry, I'll formally introduce myself tomorrow."

And with that, we had the whole Royal suite to ourselves.

I was wary of getting too close, and still pissed that I was here in the first place, but I figured I may as well enjoy it while it lasts. The more accepting I am, the easier this will be, and the sooner I can get the hell out of Court.

Lissa and I just spent the whole night talking, watching bad TV and pigging out on unhealthy food, just like the old times. Honestly, it was great to have a bit of normality back in my life, even if the long-term effects were futile.

We both crashed from exhaustion sometime around 3pm, snuggled under the thick, heavy covers of the king-sized bed. I knew I'd have to face conflicts tomorrow, but for now, I'd just enjoy the peaceful moment while it lasted.

Just like old times.

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_**Make sure to donate to the Frostbite project on IndieGoGo!**_

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**I'm absolutely, completely and totally sorry this is so short! This whole meet and greet chapter just had to be done be****fore we get into the nitty-gritty wedding details, and my brain was totally freezing up tonight. Plus, it's like 2am right now. **

**So please, review and tell me what you think! As soon as I reach 100 reviews, the next chapter will be up. That's only 12 more reviews, guys! You can do it! So just go ahead and tell me your plans for the big wedding ;3**

**Thank you, and goodnight polka dots! xx**

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_**Check my profile for links to my VA Facebook page, Twitter, Tumblr, Ask. fm and personal Instagram!**_


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